Directed by Jules Dassin Rififi is a tense, dark little heist film with a cruel protagonist and friends who quickly turn on each other. Outside of a nearly 30 minute-long silent heist sequence, very little about this film romanticizes its story. These aren't rough and tumble heroes punching up but rather selfish characters reaching too … Continue reading Rififi (1955)
heist
Triple Frontier (2019)
Directed by J.C. Chandor There's a lot of testosterone in Triple Frontier, a movie about five former Special Forces operatives who hatch a plan to steal millions of dollars from a drug lord. The plan seems foolproof, at least as much as they normally do within the context of a movie, taking place in a sparsely … Continue reading Triple Frontier (2019)
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Directed by Michael Cimino At first glance Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges seem like an odd pair, almost as if they were shooting two entirely different movies and one day just stumbled onto the same set. Here they play a bank robber and a, well I guess a petty car thief. Part of the unexpected … Continue reading Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
The Ice Harvest (2005)
Directed by Harold Ramis The Ice Harvest is a crime movie that begins after the crime has been committed. The co-conspirators are Charlie (John Cusack) and Vic (Billy Bob Thornton), and they've just stolen a couple million dollars from a man sure to kill them should he find out. It's Christmas Eve, and the two agree … Continue reading The Ice Harvest (2005)
Widows (2018)
Directed by Steve McQueen Widows is a strange, good movie. It's a heist movie set in Chicago which tackles class divides, political corruption and the burden of the dead. At times it is quite funny, quite dark, and the cast of engaging characters are well-defined but a little scattered. They are well-constructed images, sounds and … Continue reading Widows (2018)
High Sierra (1941)
Directed by Raoul Walsh "It's infernally cold up here, maybe it's nerves. The rock above, where Earle is hiding looks like a huge ice berg. Whenever the flares are lit, the faces of the crowd gathered around here look like great masts of snow. They look dead, all but their eyes..." - Radio Reporter at … Continue reading High Sierra (1941)
Bob le Flambeur (1956)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville Bob le Flambeur feels familiar. It's a casino heist movie that surely influenced Ocean's 11 (1960), complete with the methodically constructed plan and the suave, comforting criminal of a lead character. Once that plan is put in motion, however, it begins to slowly unravel until you can see the eventual failure from miles … Continue reading Bob le Flambeur (1956)